


Four Times Tyler Doesn't Understand, and One Time He Does

by SlimeQueen



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-12
Updated: 2014-05-12
Packaged: 2018-01-24 11:15:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1603148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlimeQueen/pseuds/SlimeQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Tyler doesn't understand the difference between loving his best friend and being in love with his best friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four Times Tyler Doesn't Understand, and One Time He Does

“You’re in love with Josh!” Mark exclaims with an amazed look on his face. Tyler’s eyebrows furrow confusedly as he takes in Mark’s wide eyes and gleeful smirk.

“Of course I love Josh. He’s my best friend.” Tyler remarks. “If you’re done stating the obvious, I’m going to take a nap. I’ve been running on Monster and Taco Bell for the past three days.”

“No, not that kind of-“ Mark starts, but Tyler is already halfway across the lounge, not paying attention to him anymore. Mark sighs then, because Tyler is supposed to be a genius, so why is he such an idiot?

When Tyler pulls the curtain of his bunk aside, he finds Josh inside, eyes closed, stretched out in the small space. Instead of asking him to move, Tyler climbs in beside him.

“Hey.” Josh says without opening his eyes. Tyler notices he has headphones in, and takes one out, sticking it in his own ear.

“My Chemical Romance?” Tyler asks, raising an eyebrow.

Josh shrugs, even though it’s awkward with him lying down. “They’re My Chem.” He states as if it explains everything. He wraps an arm automatically around Tyler, and Tyler pushes into his side because Josh is like a human furnace, radiating body heat in the cramped space.

Tyler falls asleep like that, and when he wakes up, Josh is still sleeping. The curtain of his bunk opens suddenly and Mark’s face is revealed.

“Ty- oh. Never mind,” Mark smirks knowingly, but Tyler has no idea what Mark’s looking at him like that for. Spooning with your band member is perfectly normal.

***

“You’re in love with Josh.” Pete tries explaining to Tyler in the lounge of the Twenty One Pilots bus one day on tour when everyone else is out.

“Yeah, he’s my best friend. I know I love him. I mean, have you seen him? Josh Dun is the greatest.” Tyler declares.

“Not love. In love.” Pete smiles at him then, and it’s this sketchy little half smile that Tyler finds highly suspicious.

Tyler’s just about to ask what he’s talking about when he hears the bus door open, and Josh walks in.

“Do we have any Yoohoo?” he asks, walking past Pete and Tyler to the fridge.

“Do we ever have any Yoohoo when Tyler’s just around to drink it all?” Mark asks as he walks in behind Josh.

“Do not,” Tyler huffs, getting up to go to the bunk section of the bus.

“Do too.” Josh mumbles as he passes. When Tyler looks up to glare at him, he discovers he can’t because Josh is giving him _that_ smile, the smile Tyler knows he’ll always smile back to.

Tyler stalks away into the depths of the bus to mope, when he hears Josh behind him cheer, “Found some!”

A few seconds later, he hears Pete yell, “Wait! I was on your bus earlier and I mixed vodka into that bottle!”

“Life on tour with Fall Out Boy is equal parts weird and confusing.” Tyler decides. After a few seconds, he adds, “And Pete Wentz makes no sense.”

***

You’re in love with Josh.” Hayley realizes, sitting down in front of him in the dressing room, smirk twitching on her bright red lips.

“Everyone loves him.” Tyler says, because they really do. Josh, with his upbeat attitude and smile like sunshine was the most well liked member of the tour, most likely.

“Yes, but you’re in love with him.” Hayley tries again.

“Yes, because he’s my best friend. It’s not exactly a secret that I totally love him.”

Hayley shakes her bright orange head, muttering, “Boys are so stupid,” under her breath. Then she brushes by him because Paramore is on.

“I know I love him!” Tyler calls after her, feeling as if he’s missing something.

“ _Do_ you know?” Hayley inquires with a shit-eating grin on her face. Then she’s gone and Tyler’s alone and confused.

The sudden screaming of hundreds of kids drowns out Tyler’s muddled thoughts.

***

“So, uh… Pete told me.” Brendon discloses, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

“Told you what?” Tyler asks, because people make no sense these days. Brendon looks like a little kid, practically vibrating with nervous energy, and Tyler’s kind of worried about him.

“That you’re,” Brendon looks around in a way that Tyler feels is entirely unnecessary, before he leans forward and whispers, “In love with Josh.”

“Yeah, he’s my best friend. Of course I love him.” Tyler explains again for what feels like the millionth time. The people on Fueled by Ramen were starting to creep him out, telling him the same thing every time.

After a few more seconds of Brendon looking at him, radiating nervousness, Brendon says, “I was too, once. With Ryan.”

Tyler recalled vaguely when Panic! Had just became famous, how Ryan Ross and Brendon Urie had been best friends, but then it had ended when the band has split.

“Josh and I are closer than that.” Tyler murmurs.

“I bet you are.” Brendon gets this annoying little smirk on his face like he knows something that Tyler doesn’t. Tyler shrugs.

Then Spencer’s calling for Brendon, and the Panic! singer leaps up to meet his drummer.

Tyler groans frustratedly when they’re gone, because he’s still confused as heck.

***

“Tylerrr,” Josh slurs against his neck, hands planted firmly at the base of Tyler’s spine. Tyler knows that he’s not too drunk, probably just tipsy. Mark had just gone to get more shot glasses, and the two were left alone.

“Listen, Ty!” Josh whines, and Tyler grins because a buzzed Josh is a hilarious Josh.

“I’m listening,” Tyler laughs, but then yelps slightly when Josh’s hands slide lower to his ass.

“I love you.” Josh says very seriously.

“I love you too.” Tyler laughs again, but it sounds more forced this time. He jumps a little again when Josh squeezes.

“No,” Josh murmurs, pressing a warm kiss to his neck, “I _really_ love you. I’m _in_ love with you.”

“Oh.” Tyler says, because he’s sure he can’t say anything else. “Oh.” He repeats, because he suddenly understands what everyone else already knows.

“Yeah.” Josh mutters, leaning away, averting his eyes.

“Oh.” Tyler mumbles again, cheeks flaring with heat because he sounds like an illiterate.

Josh rubs awkwardly at the back of his neck and then starts, “I’m sorry. I didn’t m-“ but gets cut off because Tyler’s pressing their lips together, hesitantly, softly, sweetly.

“ _Oh,_ ” Tyler thinks, because, wow. When he pulls away, lips parted slightly, he sees Josh grinning.

“I’m in love with you.” Tyler announces shyly, shoving his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, face flushing scarlet.

“I fuckin’ called it!” Mark says from the doorway, shot glasses in hand.

“Go away, Mark!” Tyler and Josh say simultaneously, then take one look at each other and burst out into giggles.

Mark turns to leave, but hisses, “I called it!” as he does.

Tyler and Josh are too busy kissing again to even notice.

**Author's Note:**

> [My Tumblr](http://babyjeongguk.co.vu)


End file.
